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Rhodesia Herald, 1 January 1970
MORE than 1 500 African children in the Filabusi area were inoculated against diphtheria this week, after the district medical officer, Dr F van Wyk, diagnosed the disease in a six-year-old boy from the Pansinwe Mission.
A Government doctor and health team from Bulawayo were rushed to Filabusi on Monday and although it was an isolated case, precautionary measures were decided upon. The child is reported to be “doing fine”.
The children inoculated were from the nearby Tribal Trust Land and mining compound.
A Government doctor and nurse were also sent to the Essexvale district on Tuesday, where a five-year-old African child contracted polio. During the day, more than 200 children from the African location were given oral vaccines.
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Classified as one of the most serious infections, diphtheria is caused by strains of bacteria that generate toxins. The poison can lead to serious sickness and in some cases death.
According to www.cdc.gov, diphtheria bacteria can be transmitted from person-to-person through airborne respiratory droplets (coughs and sneezes). “People can also get sick from touching infected open sores or ulcers.”
Diphtheria can lead to problems in breathing, cardiac arrest, paralysis and in some cases, death.
People at risk of being affected by diphtheria are children under five and adults over 60 years of age. This affects people of all races.
Vaccines (inoculations) administered by medical professionals are used to prevent diphtheria. Due to the success of the immunisation programmes, diphtheria is no longer an issue in developed countries. However, it remains a challenge in Africa, and immunisations continue to be administered.
Esigodini was Essexvale during colonial times. Pansinwe Mission could not be identified in reference sources.
Online Reporter